Is It Possible to Talk to God Straight Out About Your Needs?

As you consider this coming New Year, how do you plan to make this your best year ever in terms of how you will serve God by dedicating to him completely your time, talent, and creativity? Perhaps you’ve slipped away from that objective by becoming distracted, and you need to make a fresh start.

Occasionally your resilience and energy will deteriorate when you stray from God’s plan, so now you need a new beginning. Resilience is the capacity to recover when you grow weary from challenges that have left you exhausted.

Talk to God straight out about what has happened and ask for his help. This will open the door for you to persevere by renewing your determination to “press on toward the mark of the high calling in Jesus Christ.” You then will have the resolve to put your life’s purpose into God’s care, where it is eternally safe. 

Talk to God now and be thankful! Happy New Year!

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So let us come boldly to the throne of grace and stay there to receive His mercy and to find grace to help us in our times of need.

~Hebrews 4:16 The Living Bible

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What Makes It Difficult to Keep Your Eyes Fixed on Jesus?

Every family gathering may present challenges and opportunities that are unexpected. How we respond depends on our old baggage or the emotional trappings related to our identity and self-esteem. Baggage can be connected to guilt from which forgiveness has not been received.

Hebrews 12:1 tells us to throw off everything that burdens us down, including sin that clings so closely, and then run with perseverance the race God sets before us. How can this be done? “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.”

Keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus means staying focused on Jesus to prevent discouragement from overtaking you. Philippians 3:14 reminds us to “forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead to win the prize for which God has called us.” May God turn his face toward you and cause his light to create a clear path for you. 

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My eyes are ever looking to the Lord for help, for he alone can rescue me.

~Psalm 25:15 The Living Bible

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The Prerogative to Choose

God gives each of us the prerogative for choosing how we want to live – to choose either righteousness or unacceptable behavior. We then experience the consequences of our choices. That happened to Samson when he revealed to Delilah the secret of his strength. He chose to be seduced by Delilah and consequently trusted her with his secret.

He became careless by believing he was indestructible because he’d escaped entrapment so many times. While Samson slept, Delilah’s attendant shaved his head. With the enemy at the door, he awoke to discover the terrible consequences of satisfying his lustful passion instead of honoring God’s calling for his life. 

Do you long for life to be different in this coming New Year? Philippians 3:14 encourages you to "press on toward to the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus". Even in the worst failures, God offers healing and reconciliation to those who turn back to Him. Is that a choice you need to make for the New Year?

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Keep me far from every wrong; help me, undeserving as I am, to obey your laws, for I have chosen to do right. I cling to your commands and follow them as closely as I can. Lord, don’t let me make a mess of things… Stand ready to help me because I have chosen to follow your will.

~Psalm 119:28-31 & 173 The Living Bible

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Success OR Failure: Engage Self-Control!

Self-control determines our success or failure. Many individuals are tempted to give up when engaging in powerful habits and tempting distractions, blaming their lack of willpower to stay focused and faithful. Self-regulating is a difficult test Christians will encounter in their walk with Christ Jesus.

 

Listen to Romans 7:21 as the Apostle Paul struggles with self-control: “It seems a matter of fact that when I want to do what is right, I predictably do what is wrong. I love to do God’s will; but there is something within me that is at war with my mind and makes me a slave to sin." Does this mean he lacked the strength to resist?

Evidently not. Paul also declared, "I press on toward the goal to win the prize of the high calling in Jesus Christ."  Yes, it took endurance and self-regulation which were imperfect, but still he stayed focused on God’s purpose for him. The fruit of the Spirit is self-control, so engage it each moment of each day as you seek God’s purpose for yourself.  

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For when the way is rough, your patience has a chance to grow. So let it grow and don’t try to squirm out of your problems. For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete.

~James 1:3-4 The Living Bible

Seeking Valuable Pearls

Throughout history God has challenged men and women to be courageous and press on to new heights of achievement. "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me in Christ Jesus," was the Apostle Paul’s greatest challenge. It takes tremendous courage to make significant changes in life.

What seem like small changes to a mature Christian may appear monstrous for the new Christian, especially when friends are encouraging that person to return to the old lifestyle. It's little wonder that courage ranks high on the list of virtues to be sought after when faced with changes that seem out of bounds.

Jesus told a story about a man who found a pearl of great value and immediately sold all he had to purchase it. Courage and wisdom are pearls of great value to be sought after, for they will enable you to seek forgiveness for failures as well as the need to be forgiving. God will give you courage to press on toward the goal of fulfilling his purpose for you.   

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Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. And though it cost all you have, get understanding.

~Proverbs 4:6-7 New International Version

Don’t be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, “I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,” we can boldly quote, “God is there, ready to help; I’m fearless no matter what. Who or what can get to me?”

~Hebrews 13:5-6 The Message 

Two Options for Life

Great achievements throughout history were made possible by overcoming what seemed like impossible obstacles. Two options are to fight and overcome problems or to settle for the status quo and mediocrity. We do combat with obstacles because they symbolize defeat and failure and leave a negative mark on who we are as God’s creation.

A young woman who overcame serious learning disabilities and poverty to get a high school diploma was not satisfied with her success. She applied for college knowing it would be an uphill battle. Still she pressed on to finish a graduate degree and did so at the top of her class with a remarkable 4.0 grade point average. 

         The Greek philosopher and physician Hippocrates noted, “Life is short, opportunity fleeting, experience treacherous, and judgment difficult.” God’s word emphasizes today is the day for your salvation and you must work it out with fear and trembling. There are obstacles to fight in pursuit of any objective for Christ Jesus, but they are not insurmountable with his guidance and strength. 

Determined to Overcome Obstacles

Within most everyone resides determination to overcome obstacles that prevent reaching one’s desired objectives. Obstacles, sometimes referred to as “the briar patch effect”, may appear at any moment to test the strength of a person’s endurance and resilience. 

During the 1996 Olympics, American gymnast Kerri Strug injured her ankle, but by sheer determination she completed her event to win a gold medal. Although in excruciating pain, Kerri had a legitimate excuse to give up and quit, but this obstacle provided her an opportunity to show strength of character. She pulled up everything within her being to strain forward to win the prize for herself, her teammates and America.

  

           After God spoke to him in a dream, Jacob went forward with determination to face an unknown future. He believed God was now part of his life, anchored by a promise he could never forget. No matter what obstacles you’re facing, Christ Jesus is willing to give you, too, the inner strength to go forward to win the prize he has in store for you.

Choose God's Way: Resist Evil - Part 2

No one lives a perfect Christian life. Temptation abounds and must be faced and rejected. God makes sure we are not alone in our fight against evil by sending help so we will not be overtaken by wickedness. The Apostle Paul instructs us to put on the full armor of God so we will be able to stand our ground against Satan. Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit to counsel and instruct us.

God wants us to be single-minded and resolve to serve him and him alone. Jesus reminds us that we cannot serve two masters - either God or whatever the world offers. Being single-minded requires knowing where you’re going and to whom you are committed. Have you chosen God’s way?

It's appropriate to closely examine yourself to see if you’re in line with God's purpose and direction. The unexamined life is subject to faltering. Remember, it pleases God when you constantly press on toward the high calling in Christ Jesus. God created you to choose his way, so why not make that choice now?  

Bouncing Back and Pressing On - Part 2

There were thousands of people who came to our city of Houston from Vietnam and other Asian countries to escape the ravages of war. What has amazed me is the resilience of these people to overcome numerous hardships and become responsible citizens making significant contributions to our society.

Resilience is an inner strength that makes it possible to keep an objective identified clearly and in sharp focus. Albert Einstein, the German-born physicist, developed the theories of special and general relativity. He acknowledged that God gave him the insight to develop these formulas and prove they worked.

The Apostle Paul suffered numerous hardships but said his faith was strengthened by adversity. His attitude is an antidote for discouragement because it testifies of humility and resilience rather than conceit and failure. Listen to Paul's declaration from Philippians 3:8. "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus." This affirmation can be your source for resilience.  

Resilience: Character Strength for Survival - Part 3

Freudian psychology promotes the pain and pleasure principle. Freud developed this theory from his observation of people who tend to avoid suffering and pain by seeking pleasure and comfort. The world's economy is geared toward promising happiness and pleasure rather than pain and sorrow.

Pleasure is irresistible when it fits within acceptable boundaries. Within this context the challenge for acquiring pleasure is invigorating. The desire for pleasure kindles a fire that challenges us to take hold of a promising dream by activating our best mental and physical assets. The desire for pleasure drives us to conquer suffering and pain by using every source available.

It takes resilience to conquer all obstructions that prevent us from securing  peace and joy. Resilience, that inner, God-given strength, resists defeat and any pain associated with it. Like Jesus, the Apostle Paul, and countless others, each of us is commissioned to press on toward the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. This alone brings peace and internal satisfaction.  

Accomplishment: A Fresh Look - Part 2

What would you say is your greatest accomplishment in the time frame God has given you so far? It's helpful to measure our progress against the goals we set in place at an earlier date because we encounter distractions. Distractions may have been associated with a crisis or with opportunities that couldn't be passed up. Sometimes original objectives need to be re-prioritized.

In some cases it's appropriate to let go of a hope or dream that could not come to fruition. It may be impossible to reach an objective because of issues and factors beyond our control. It's important to evaluate carefully and prayerfully what role God's purpose and objectives play when disappointments or downright failure are unpreventable.

Celebrating what you have accomplished and what God has provided is a positive way to take stock and accept what could not come to fruition. Philippians 3:14 instructs us press on to what is possible. "Forgetting what is behind, I press onward toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me." This is a good and godly choice.  

Choosing Commitment - Part 1

How well do you take care of yourself? While some problems we encounter in life are not of our choosing, most come about as the result of our own decisions. How we take care of ourselves, physically, mentally and spiritually, determines success or failure. Deciding to exercise helps maintain a healthy body and mind. Sometimes we start off with good intentions, but those good intentions may slip away.  

Connected to any decision is commitment. To commitment there must be a doable plan in place for reaching a specific goal. St. Paul said, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me.” To press onward is a choice bound up in commitment.

God intended for us to take care of ourselves because our body, mind and spirit comprise a temple for the Holy Spirit. How well you care for yourself depends on your motivation. God loves you and sacrificed for you to give you life abundantly! It’s not about feeling guilty, but rather feeling worthy because God has chosen you.